How to manage distributed teams?

For PIPECODES, people are the company’s most valuable asset. A happy team, satisfied with the working conditions and environment, makes a big difference in teamwork and company objectives.
For this equation to work well, it is necessary to know how to manage distributed teams so that the personal expectations of employees are balanced with the company’s objectives.

Some practices that can promote good team management are:

1. Distribute tasks – knowing the strengths and weaknesses of employees is essential in order to get the best out of each one. Delegating functions according to the particular potential is good for gaining quality in the execution of projects, time saved, greater satisfaction of results, and greater motivation of the team.
2. Schedule meetings – scheduling relevant meetings with the team improves everyone’s alignment, clarifies possible doubts, and adjusts some points, joint help is possible for some tasks with brainstorming, for example, and of course feedback on how the tasks go is always essential.
3. Overcome unexpected events – it is natural that in some moments priorities change and unforeseen events happen, however, the important thing is that in a well-managed team, calm, and support are always shown in tracing new strategies together. Having flexibility is essential for any team member, no matter the position.
4. Have common goals – of course, the objective is always to achieve the goals that the company sets for us. To achieve this, individuality must be respected, and as a manager, be always attentive and open to everyone’s ideas, promote discussions and debates about relevant topics, and leave a comfortable environment for people to feel at ease to expose their opinions.

Of course, we understand that the challenge of managing a team and articulating all the goals and expectations when that team is geographically distant is bigger.
A distributed team, as is the case in PIPECODES, has its benefits, but it has its challenges as well. Therefore, for the management of these teams to be done positively and aggregating, some points are very important:

• Delegate responsibilities: defining priorities and expectations is the first step to achieving a goal. Also, showing that everyone has a relevant and essential role in the process is a motivator for people. And it is worth emphasizing that autonomous work and proactivity are also increasingly valued skills;
• Use digital collaboration tools: using technology in our favor is always the best option, so choosing good tools to help communication, organization, and bureaucracy helps a lot;
• Have regular meetings: having weekly meetings, for example, facilitates communication, priority updates, feedback, and even moments of relaxation. The meeting has the role of bringing team members closer together;
• Share the company culture: as managers and leaders, it is important that the company culture and values are always established and carried into every project;
• Keep the team informed of all matters: it is an asset to involve the team along the way, ensuring that they feel included in the process and that they are effectively included in it;
• Trust as a working tool: in the remote context, above all, it is necessary to trust and keep teams motivated. Trust in people, in processes, and encourage transparent and honest communication. Here we defend this motto: “Maximum flexibility, maximum responsibility.”, and we are happy like this.

Despite the challenges of having separate company members on a daily basis, it is indispensable to always keep in mind the importance of dialogue and opening up this channel when you are a manager.

Assisting in the management of the teams, besides the main managers of each one, is also a concern of the Human Resources area of the company. The existence of this sector is significant, even for management, not to be a process that overloads anyone.

Some practices that the HR department can apply to assist in the management and growth of the company are:

• Articulate together with team leaders, and customized training courses
• Implement remote or in-person integration activities
• Do performance evaluations
• Rewarding employees’ performance
• Implementing the company’s general internal communication channel

The importance of each one in the company is also an indispensable point for the feeling of unity and group work. Whenever you have the opportunity, for a team that is geographically distant, promoting meetings and events in different environments, besides the office, are also practices that keep the group together and create greater integration and empathy among people.

And for you, what HR and management practices are fundamental to a company that has distributed teams?

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